DETROIT - On Wednesday, Judge Friedman of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan will hear arguments in the DeBoer v Snyder and Schuette case regarding adoption and marriage equality in Michigan. The judge may deliver his ruling that same day. Equality Michigan has launched an online Marriage Equality Center providing resources to help same-gender couples in the immediate aftermath of the ruling at www.equalitymi.org/marriage.

One of the outcomes that Equality Michigan is preparing for is that same-gender marriages may be legal in Michigan in the days following the ruling. If this becomes a possibility, these weddings will likely only have a short window of time to occur. The resources online are designed to help couples navigate the information they will need to know from their county clerk and find clergy eager to help them legally marry.

Equality Michigan, the only statewide advocacy and anti-violence organization serving Michigan's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities, has been providing resources to LGBT families seeking equality for over 20 years. The group is coordinating a coalition of organizations working to bring marriage equality to Michigan.

"The possibility of same-gender marriage coming to Michigan this week is a reality that Equality Michigan has been preparing several months for. If marriage equality happens in Michigan, even for an hour, it won't merely be about a piece of paper that grants legal access to equal rights and opportunities. A historic decision this week would be an acknowledgement of the humanity of Michigan's LGBT families," said Emily Dievendorf, Equality Michigan's managing director. "Equality Michigan is thrilled to be providing resources through our online Marriage Equality Center to help loving same-gender couples around the state transform their lives by making a legal commitment to each other."

Equality Michigan has made a long-term commitment to supporting LGBT families, and will continue to work with the organizations they partnered with for this project - Affirmations, Inclusive Justice, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity & Inclusion, and Michigan UU Social Justice Network - to maintain the list of clergy after the conclusion of the DeBoer v Snyder and Schuette case.

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Equality Michigan has worked passionately for over 20 years to achieve full equality and respect for all people in Michigan regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. For more information, visit www.equalitymi.org.